Diving Opportunity at Andros Field Station

[Ondeen]

I spent a fair amount of time at International Field Studies (IFS) in Andros. The primary purpose of IFS is to facilitate educational trip with high schools, universities, researchers, etc. However, there are times when they can and will accommodate certified divers. Price per person out of Ft. Lauderdale is less than $1000 per week. This includes everything except for a charge of $25/dive. Accommodations aren't fancy. Actually, the accommodations are cabins that are really very basic. Diving is not fantastic but it is good. Andros is an interesting island, particularly from a geological perspective.

It is not my intention that this evolve into an advertisement. It is my intention to make others aware of tje existence of IFS and the opportunity to visit there.

Ondine

 

[archman]

Is this the Forfar field station? You wouldn't happen to know if there's anything worth snorkeling immediately around the campus do you? How 'bout the reefs in the area... are they covered in algae or do they look even moderately healthy?

I'm trying to learn as much as I can about this place, and insights from other divers would be great.

 

[Ondeen]

Is this the Forfar field station? You wouldn't happen to know if there's anything worth snorkeling immediately around the campus do you? How 'bout the reefs in the area... are they covered in algae or do they look even moderately healthy?

I'm trying to learn as much as I can about this place, and insights from other divers would be great.

It is indeed Forfar Field Station. They had a couple of huge flat pontoon-type boats and took us out to snorkel frequently. Because they took us to lots of good sites, I didn't check in the immediate vicinity for more though it might be there. The reefs were not covered in algae when I was there. I hope they aren't now! There was a group there studying the calcareous algae one year.

There is a marvelous river near the base. The critters there vary with the tides. One could jump off the bridge at high tide and float down the river to the sea. There were also inland blue holes. We swam in one and I dived another. Forfar's present literature states that simming or diving in these inland blue holes is now prohibited. I'm not surprised as they are doing a lot of studies on the fish population in each hole. The specific characteristics of the fish vary from one hole to another. Since the holes have been isolated from one another since formation, the differences among these fishes are of interests to biologists, particularly evolutionists.